Labour bid to restore library service fails

A bid to have Lincolnshire County Council’s library service restored to the position it was in before the executive approved cost-cutting plans has been rejected.

Members of the Labour opposition made the call at Friday’s meeting of the full council.

It comes after the High Court quashed the executive’s decision to cut the library service by £2 million due to the way the council handled the consultation process.

Labour councillors argued the service - both in terms of opening hours and its mobile library provision - could be restored with £294,000 from last year’s £40 million-plus underspend.

However, the motion failed to be carried when it was put before the full council.

Speaking after the meeting Coun Nick Worth, executive member at the county council for libraries, said: “The council is just about to begin further consultation on the future of library services, ahead of a fresh decision being taken by the executive, which is expected to happen in February.

“It, therefore, seems irrational to spend time and money returning things to how they were, given that things could change again in the near future, whatever proposal is finally adopted.”

A call for a vote of no confidence in the executive over the library service put forward by UKIP members Couns Victoria Ayling and Robin Hunter-Clarke was also rejected at the meeting.

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